Thursday, July 31, 2014

10:17 PM

State Sen. Glenn Grothman pulled in more from individual donors during the pre-primary period than his rivals for the GOP nomination in the 6th CD.

But state Rep. Duey Stroebel continued to have a money advantage over Grothman and state Sen. Joe Leibham thanks to his personal contributions to the campaign.

Reports for all three filed with the FEC today showed Grothman, R-Campbellsport, raised $94,931 from individuals and committees, loaned himself $90,000, spent $99,123 and had $159,621 cash on hand. He also listed $128,497 in debts.

Stroebel, R-Saukville, raised $12,800 from individuals, gave himself another $350,000, spent $276,588 and had $262,720 cash on hand. Stroebel had an outstanding balance of $691,940 on loans he has given the campaign.

Leibham, R-Sheboygan, raised $76,595 from individuals and committees, spent $182,106 and had $171,364 cash on hand. He listed $38,539 in debts and did not give his campaign anything during the pre-primary period.

8:47 AM

GOP 6th CD candidate Duey Stroebel released his second new TV ad in as many days, this time targeting career politicians who “just keep talking” on illegal immigration.

The spot opens with video that includes what appears to be a border agent frisking two people. The narrator says thousands of illegal immigrants cross the border each day and “we must secure our borders.”

The spot then switches to video of Stroebel as the narrator calls him “an outsider ready for action. He will lead the fight to oppose President Obama’s amnesty plans because he knows that we must stop illegal immigration and enforce our laws first.”

“To career politicians, border security is a political game,” the narrator says as the faces of Obama and Nancy Pelosi appear on the screen. “But to Duey Stroebel, it’s about putting Americans first."

8:31 AM

Dem Rep. Jon Richards is out with a new ad in the AG primary race that touts his endorsements and progressive positions.

The 30-second TV ad, titled "Wisconsin's Choice," begins by featuring endorsements from the Milwaukee Deputy Sheriff's Association and the Capital Times while a voiceover calls him a "fighter for our families, a champion of our values."

The ad goes on to note his work on gun control and stance against the state's gay marriage and pledge to "stop Scott Walker's attack on working people and protect our rights." -- By Jason Smathers

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

4:37 PM

State Rep. Duey Stroebel has released a new ad attacking his 6th CD GOP primary opponents as people who might “compromise” on conservative principles in Congress.

The 30-second TV ad begins with video of state Sen. Glenn Grothman of Campbellsport during a candidate forum referencing a “bad mandate.” He adds that in Madison one is sometimes forced into taking a compromise vote. The ad then features a voiceover saying that Grothman’s compromise cost Wisconsin $788 million, referring to votes that created the state's renewable energy portfolio standards.

The ad repeats Grothman’s comments one more time before ending the ad with a voice over: “If career politicians Glenn Grothman and Joe Leibham are willing to compromise on conservative principles in Madison, what will they compromise on in Washington?”

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

10:08 PM

FOND DU LAC -- The three main GOP candidates vying for the 6th Congressional District took potshots at each other Tuesday night while trying to elevate their conservative credentials on issues ranging from overregulation to social issues.

State Rep. Duey Stroebel of Saukville opened the salvo against his competitors, state Sens. Joe Leibham of Sheboygan and Glenn Grothman of Campbellsport.

When asked what amendment they would add to the U.S. Constitution, Stroebel said he'd support a balanced budget amendment but chastised Grothman and Leibham for what he saw as a lack of commitment to that vision. Stroebel noted that the Assembly had approved a resolution to move forward with a constitutional convention on the idea, but that the Senate -- where Leibham and Grothman serve in leadership -- didn't bring it up for a vote.

"I think that when the rubber meets the road, you have to follow up your rhetoric with your actions here," Stroebel said. "We had the ability to move that along in this state, and we didn't do it. And I think that was a mistake."

Stroebel also charged his rivals voted for Dem Gov. Jim Doyle's budgets, but Leibham and Grothman pushed back against that suggestion.

"To suggest that I've been a big spender during my time in the Legislature is laughable," Leibham said. "And I suggest that you look at the record. Under the Doyle term, the Republican Legislature stood firm against Gov. Doyle in the 2003 and 2005 budget, and spending and growing government could have been a much greater problem. But we worked hard."

Grothman also dismissed the "career politician" label, saying that it had no bearing on whether someone advances conservative goals. Grothman pointed to a list of bills Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce said were "necessary" to help businesses in the state.

"Since Gov. Walker has become governor, I've authored 10 of those bills that Gov Walker has signed. Rep. Stroebel has been there during that whole time those 10 bills have been signed, he has authored none of them,” Grothman said. “There is no reason why as you're in Madison or in Washington, you cannot be a fighting conservative."

While Grothman and Stroebel would trade barbs throughout the night, Leibham mostly stayed out of the fray. The only time at which he critiqued the record of a competitor came when referencing a 2001 decision to use money from a nationwide tobacco settlement to plug a budget hole. He made a point of saying that he pushed back against leadership's desire to raid that fund and noted that "no one on this stage who was in the Legislature" voted with him, referring to Grothman.

The debate, hosted by the Fond Du Lac County Republican Party and the conservative media outlet Right Wisconsin, featured questions by radio host Charlie Sykes, former state Rep. Michelle Litjens, R-Oshkosh, and Rick Sense, the district director for GOP U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble. The fourth GOP candidate in the race, Tom Denow of Oshkosh, did not participate in the debate. The winner of the Aug. 12 primary will face Dem Mark Harris, the Winnebago County exec.

The candidates mostly agreed on the conservative-centric questions posed to them -- repealing Common Core, de-authorizing the Export-Import Bank and maintaining the aggressive stance against legalizing marijuana.

They also all said impeachment against President Barack Obama should be explored, though Grothman warned the public does not yet support such a move. He called that a "failure of the Republican Party" to explain how Obama has overreached during his time as president.

Stroebel, starting his answer, responded: "Well, Glenn, that was a different answer than you gave last week," referring to Grothman's statements at another forum that he'd support impeachment. Stroebel and Leibham said they would favor putting together a council to determine whether the president should be impeached.

While the audience was instructed to remain silent during the debate, Grothman prompted one outbreak of laughter and clapping when he was asked how he would explain that Republicans aren't waging a "War on Women." While all the candidates said they "didn't get" the idea that Republicans are "anti-women," Grothman said the GOP needs to make the case that "women have never had it better."

"Women are better off in this country than men," Grothman said. "They live longer than men, our state prison system … What? Eighty, 85, 90 percent plus are men, a much higher percentage of women are graduating from college, if you look at the earnings of single-women under 30, single women in general make more money than men. Men are more likely to commit suicide, men are more likely to die in car accidents. I mean … there ought to be a special commission to see what we can do to help the men."

Monday, July 28, 2014

10:09 AM

Gov. Scott Walker's campaign today released a new TV ad that again criticized Dem rival Mary Burke over a land purchase while she served in the Doyle administration.

"As Jim Doyle’s Commerce secretary, Mary Burke wasted 12 and a half million dollars on a vacant lot, hoping to lure a company to Wisconsin to create jobs," an announcer says in the 30-second spot. "But the company had already laid off over 800 workers and said it had no plans to create jobs here."

The announcer then says the lot is still vacant, and that demands from the federal government to repay funding for the purchase means "Mary Burke’s boondoggle could cost taxpayers nearly $25 million."

It's the second ad this month from Walker to reference a 2006 attempt to lure Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories across the state line.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

2:26 PM

Just days after Duey Stroebel hit out at 6th CD competitors Glenn Grothman and Joe Leibham, Grothman has put out his own ads referring to the rest of the field as "weak-kneed politicians."

Grothman released a 30-second TV ad and a 60-second radio ad with similar themes. The TV ad starts out decrying the current "yes men" in Congress, before highlighting Grothman as someone who knows when its "time to say no."

"Because he has experience cutting taxes, taking on liberals, reducing welfare and has pledged to abide by term limits," the TV ad states. "So if you want another weak-kneed politician, vote for the other guys. But if you'd like a proven conservative who'll tell Washington 'enough is enough,' vote for Glenn Grothman."
The ad comes after Stroebel released dual ads that attacked Grothman and Leibham for their "billions" in spending while in state government.-- By Jason Smathers

12:39 PM

Gov. Scott Walker and Dem rival Mary Burke were again neck-and-neck in the latest Marquette University Law School poll.

The survey found Walker edging Burke 46 percent to 45 percent among registered voters, while Burke was up 47-46 among likely voters. Both gaps were well within the margin of error.

In May, the race was tied at 46 among registered voters, while Walker had a 48-45 edge among likely voters.

In the latest poll, Walker had a slight edge among independents 45-44, compared to 49-40 in May.

The poll was conducted July 17-20 after both campaigns went back on the airwaves. The survey included 804 registered voters, of whom 549 said they were likely to vote in November. The margin of error for the full sample was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, while it was 4.3 percentage points for likely voters.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

11:02 PM

The three Dem candidates for attorney general focused on the need for more state diversion and rehabilitation programs while meeting Tuesday night for a panel discussion.

State Rep. Jon Richards, D-Milwaukee, and Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne started on the theme of rehabilitation programs early in the discussion with a question on the heroin epidemic sweeping the state. Both said the fight against heroin must extend further than prosecuting those people already involved with the drug. They said it should include getting to the root of the issue through community-supported diversion programs that educate families, children and other community members like doctors.

For Wisconsinites who have only been addicted a short time, the candidates pushed programs to give them the tools and community support to change course.

That way, Ozanne and Richards said, the problem will be prevented instead of dealt with after severe damage has already been done.

“We are not going to prosecute our way out of a heroin epidemic, period,” Ozanne said, adding that in his experience those people who are prosecuted for heroin deaths end up being those who loved the victim most. “We are ripping families apart through prosecution.”

The candidates also pitched similar programs as solutions to the high number of incarcerated blacks and Native Americans in Wisconsin, as well as a way of curbing domestic abuse and problems stemming from mental illness.

Jefferson County District Attorney Susan Happ joined Ozanne and Richards in emphasizing a conscious effort to prioritize keeping non-violent and first-time offenders in programs where they have access to help. Keeping people in their communities to overcome past issues can be a great solution, Happ said.

The candidates are three weeks away from the Aug. 12 primary with the winner moving on to face Waukesha County DA Brad Schimel, who is running unopposed on the Republican ticket.

All three Dems acknowledged there were many cases, such as those of repeat and violent offenders, where prosecution was the best option and each made it clear they would not be afraid to follow through on such cases.

While the candidates agreed on almost every question posed during the panel put on by the Democratic Party of Dane County, they did take several opportunities to differentiate themselves from the others in the field.

Happ reminded the audience she has served six years as DA in a traditionally GOP county, proving she can get votes from both Republicans and Democrats. She also said her background as a woman allows her to approach issues differently than any other candidate running for the office, specifically when searching for remedies to the “war on women.”

“I nearly died in childbirth, and I know that these are personal decisions that must be made by women with their family, their physician and their faith, not by politicians in Washington, D.C., and Madison,” Happ said.

Ozanne said his background running day-to-day operations for the state’s Department of Corrections as well as his experience as DA for the state’s second-largest county gives him the institutional knowledge to run a major agency like the Department of Justice. He also told those at the event he was the only Democratic candidate who could say he truly had extensive experience as a prosecutor, downplaying Happ’s six years in a less populated county.

“Experience and leadership matter. The other side is coming at us with a Mack truck,” Ozanne said about Republicans and Schimel. “The last two [Democratic] candidates were beaten back because they had a lack of prosecutorial experience. I am the one with the leadership and experience.”

Richards, who served 15 years in the state Legislature and has his own private legal practice, said he has based his candidacy on the “need to protect Wisconsin families” through better enforcement of issues like domestic abuse, child pornography and women’s rights. He also said he stands apart from the other candidates because of his legislative experience developing statewide policy as well as with his focus on background checks for all gun sales in the state, something he said no other candidate in the race has explicitly sought.

The candidates also differed slightly in their explanations of the attorney general’s role for the state. For Ozanne, public safety is No. 1 and the ability of the attorney general to choose which cases to pursue or let sit is important given the impact it can have on citizens’ lives.

Richards stressed using the position to set up statewide standards and to use the power of the position to help rural counties that have law enforcement problems but do not have the money to fix them.

Happ tapped into her image of a candidate for both sides in saying the main role is to push divisiveness and politics away from decisions and make sure the state is following through on constitutional standards.

Aside from those relatively minor deviations, each candidate put forward similar ideas to promote marriage equality, pour more resources into fighting drugs and domestic abuse, and defending voting rights and the environment.

The Democratic Party of Dane County held a straw poll at the event, which Ozanne won with 19 votes. Happ came in second with 16 and Richards was third with eight.

12:28 PM

The spot opens with the narrator saying Burke has been "trying to sell us on her experience at her family business." The narrator adds Burke "forgot to mention that they make 99 percent over their bikes overseas, in places like China, where her company has outsourced jobs for years."

"Yet while Burke’s company makes almost all their bikes overseas, taxpayers have had to foot the bill to retrain the Wisconsin workers who lost their jobs here," the narrator says.

The narrator closes the spot by saying, "Mary Burke. Job creator? Not so much."

It's the second straight ad from Walker's campaign that accuses Burke of outsourcing jobs while at Trek and the fourth straight negative ad from the guv since he went back on the air in June.

11:30 AM

Gov. Scott Walker's campaign spent nearly $321,000 on defense attorneys during the first half of 2014 as prosecutors pursued a John Doe probe alleging his campaign and conservative groups coordinated during the recall elections.

According to Walker's latest campaign finance report filed late yesterday, Walker's campaign paid $212,884 to the law firm of Sidley Austin in Chicago, $83,079 to Biskupic & Jacobs in Milwaukee and $25,000 to Michael Steinle in Milwaukee.

The expenses were all listed as "legal fees-compliance" on his report.

A federal judge has ordered a halt to the John Doe probe -- a decision now under appeal.

The latest outlay to defense attorneys is on top of prior legal expenses Walker reported to deal with an earlier John Doe probe.

Walker closed a legal defense fund last year he used to cover costs associated with that investigation, which ensnared former aides and associates while he was Milwaukee County exec. He transferred $447,602 from his campaign fund to that account and sent another $200,000 to Michael Best & Friedrich for "legal compliance."

Walker's filing with the GAB also shows he raised almost $4.6 million from out-of-state donors during the period, more than half of the almost $8.3 million he pulled in overall.

That includes more than 31,000 individual contributions from out-of-state donors.

Walker's campaign touted that 76 percent of the 65,000 contributions he received overall for the period were $75 or less.

Still, 106 donors gave him the maximum contribution of $10,000, netting him more than $1 million.

9:30 AM

Former Assembly Majority Leader Bill Kramer reported paying $10,000 in legal fees to the firm that partially represented him in his sexual assault case.

In his July campaign finance report, Kramer reported two $5,000 payments to Gatzke and Ruppelt SC in late March and early June. Attorney James Gatzke initially represented Kramer following his arrest by Muskego police, but Kramer has been represented in court by Eduardo Borda of Magner, Hueneke, Smith & Borda. Gatzke has a pending complaint against him from the Office of Lawyer Regulation.

The report also showed that two Assembly GOP campaigns returned contributions from Kramer's campaign. The campaigns of Reps. Robert Kulp and Jessie Rodriguez both returned $500 each in contributions in early February, a month before sexual harassment claims led Republicans to remove Kramer from his majority leader post.

Friday, July 18, 2014

8:21 AM

Dem guv candidate Mary Burke’s campaign is out with a new TV ad calling a recent Walker spot a “fairytale” and an “outrageous attack on a great Wisconsin company.”

"The real story? Mary Burke helped build Trek into a company where almost a thousand Wisconsin people go to work every day, making more bikes in the U.S. than anyone," an announcer says in the ad.

Walker's spot, unveiled Wednesday, features a woman reading a book to two children, which says Mary Burke made "millions by sending jobs overseas that could have been done in Wisconsin." The spot does not mention Trek, but one page of the book shows a cartoon of a factory with bikes outside.

The announcer in the Burke ad says “it's Walker's agency that gave millions in tax breaks to companies that relocated jobs overseas -- another reason Wisconsin's dead last in Midwest job growth.”

The campaign says the spot will air in the Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Wausau and Eau Claire/La Crosse markets starting today.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

7:29 AM

Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign released a new TV ad today charging Dem rival Mary Burke made millions by “sending jobs overseas that could have been done in Wisconsin.”

It’s the third straight negative ad from the Walker campaign since going back up on the air in mid-June.

The spot shows a woman reading a book “Mary Burke’s Overseas Adventures” to two children. The book includes a series of caricatures of Burke, a former Trek Bicycle executive.

“Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your fortune grow?” the woman says to open the book.

She adds while flipping pages, “By making millions of dollars ... Sending jobs overseas that could have been done in Wisconsin ... To countries where women and children might work up to 12 hours a day, earning only two dollars an hour.”

The ad does not mention Trek, but one page shows a cartoon of a factory with several bikes outside.

4:43 PM

While State Rep. Duey Stroebel reported raising more than $368,000 for his congressional bid, most of it came from Stroebel himself.

According to his filing with the FEC, Stroebel, R-Saukville, raised $368,206 between jumping into the race and the close of the second quarter on June 30. However, most of that was from the $341,939 he loaned the campaign. The other $26,263 came from individual contributors. He finished the period with $176,508 cash on hand and reported spending $70,000 on his TV ad.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

2:35 PM

Gov. Scott Walker's campaign says he raised almost $8.3 million in the first half of 2014 and had $7.6 million cash on hand.

Campaign finance reports for the first six months of 2014 are not due to the GAB until July 21. But Walker's campaign released his cover sheet two hours after Dem rival Mary Burke said she raised more than $3.6 million in the period and had more than $2.5 million cash on hand.

The cover sheet shows Walker spent more than $5.3 million during the six-month period that ended June 30.

12:31 PM

Dem guv hopeful Mary Burke's campaign said today she raised more than $3.6 million in the first half of 2014.

Burke's campaign said that brings her total raised for the campaign, which she launched in October, to more than $5.4 million.

A campaign spokesman said Burke will report more than $2.5 million cash on hand for the period, which closed June 30. Spokesman Joe Zepecki also said Burke did not put any of her own money into the campaign during the period, which covers the first six months of the year.

Campaign finance reports for the period are not due to the GAB until July 21.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

3:08 PM

State Rep. Duey Stroebel today announced a second radio and TV spot in his bid for the 6th Congressional District.

The ad, titled "Work for Us," says Stroebel will fight for term limits and a balanced budget, with an announcer saying the Cedarburg Republican knows "you can't spend more than you take in -- because someone must pay the bill."

"As a job creator, Duey Stroebel believes that fewer career politicians and more people with real world experience is the only way Washington will balance its budget," the announcer says in the ad.

11:48 AM

Dem Mary Burke released a new TV ad today in which she pledges to "work for families like yours" as guv.

The 60-second spot opens with Burke talking about her father founding Trek Bicycle in a small barn, adding "I'm proud to have helped build Trek into a great Wisconsin company where nearly a thousand people go to work everyday."

Burke says she knows the economy isn't working for many as it should and good jobs like those at Trek are hard to find, adding she's running for governor "because we can do better."

Instead of "petty politics" or more cuts to education, Burke pledges to "bring people together, like I did in business" and make sure kids have the skills they need.

"And instead of more breaks for big money special interests, I'll work for families like yours," she says to close the spot. "Because you deserve a governor who puts you first, and that's what I'll do everyday."

Burke's campaign said the ad, which does not mention Gov. Scott Walker, will run in the Milwaukee, Green Bay/Appleton, Wausau, and Eau Claire/La Crosse media markets on broadcast and cable.

8:17 AM

Gov. Scott Walker's campaign released a new TV ad today slamming Dem rival Mary Burke for a $12.5 million land purchase while she was Commerce secretary.

The narrator in the spot says Burke spent the money to "buy a vacant lot for a company that said it had no plans to create jobs in Wisconsin."

The narrator then says the company, Abbott Labs, had laid off 800 workers "when Burke closed the deal."

The spot shows video of Burke walking down a hallway as the narrator says, "Mary Burke says she’ll work to create jobs and spend our tax money wisely, but her record as Jim Doyle’s commerce secretary tells a different story." The spot then closes with a picture of Burke as Doyle stands in the background.

Monday, July 7, 2014

7:07 AM

GOP 6th CD candidate Joe Leibham is out with his first TV and radio ads of the campaign, both touting his conservative credentials.

In the TV spot, Leibham says he learned in a family of 13 kids it was “hard to get a word in edgewise.” Several of his siblings then talk about his work in the state Senate, including lowering taxes, creating a tax credit for businesses that hire disabled vets and helping build the largest rainy day fund in state history.

Leibham then cuts off his siblings saying “OK, guys, we can’t fit it all in 30 seconds.”

The narrator closes the spot, “Conservative Joe Leibham for Congress.”

Leibham, who’s been in the Legislature for more than 15 years, is going up on the air with both ads today a little more than two weeks after GOP primary opponent Duey Stroebel released his TV ad knocking “career politicians.”

In the radio spot, Leibham dismisses “tough talk” during primary time, saying he’s gotten results.

The narrator touts the Sanctity of Life Award he received from Wisconsin Right to Life and the American Conservative Union calling him a Defender of Liberty. The narrator also says he “fought to pass Governor Walker’s labor reforms,” authored photo ID legislation and “led the charge to rein in frivolous lawsuits.”

“As your Congressman, I’ll take the fight to Washington, working to balance the budget, jumpstart our economy and protect the values we share,” Leibham says. “Talk is cheap. I’m Joe Leibham and I approved this message because Washington needs action.”